1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to ceiling fans. More particularly, this invention relates to a tightening device with easy alignment adapted for securing a ceiling fan to a fitting which is used to mount the ceiling fan onto a flat ceiling wall.
2. Description of the Background Art
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a first conventional ceiling fan 1 is shown to include a motor casing 13 having an upper major wall 132 with a plurality of screw holes 131 (typically 6 holes 131 equally spaced angularly) and an upright coupling member 16 including threaded holes 162 (typically 6 holes 162 equally spaced angularly) that are in alignment with holes 131 for coupling together by screws 161 (typically 6 screws 161). A fitting 10 includes a mounting bracket 11 which has an abutment wall 111 to be fixed on and to abut against a flat ceiling wall, and, for alternative use with a downrod 15 such as shown in FIG. 3, a pair of retaining halves 112 that are suspended from the abutment wall 111 and that are spaced apart from each other radially to define a retaining bore or socket for receiving the downrod 15. The fitting 10 further includes a protective canopy covering member 12 which has an upper annular secured portion 124 surrounding and secured to the abutment wall 111 of the mounting bracket 11 so as to shield the abutment wall 111 radially, and a skirt portion 125 circumferentially extending from the annular secured portion 124 about the axis and downwardly to form a lower annular wall 121. The lower annular wall 121 extends inwardly and radially to define an opening 123 for passage of the upright coupling member 16, and has a plurality of through holes 122 (typically 3 equally spaced in alignment with 3 of the holes 162) such that 3 of the screws 161 may be utilized to fasten the protective covering 12 to the motor casing 13.
Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, for holding a second ceiling fan 2 with a supporting rod 15 which extends upwardly about the axis from the upright coupling member 16 and which has an enlarged upper portion that passes through the opening 123 and that is retained by the retaining halves 112 of the mounting bracket 11, the fitting 10 incorporates a plurality of cap members 17 to cover the through holes 122 in the protective covering member 12, thereby improving the outer appearance of the ceiling fan. A more complete disclosure of cap members 17 can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,947,436, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide an improvement which overcomes the aforementioned inadequacies of the prior art devices and provides an improvement which is a significant contribution to the advancement of the ceiling fan art.
Another object of this invention is to provide a tightening device with easy alignment adapted for securing a ceiling fan to a fitting so as to conveniently assemble the ceiling fan onto the fitting.
The foregoing has outlined some of the pertinent objects of the invention. These objects should be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the intended invention. Many other beneficial results can be attained by applying the disclosed invention in a different manner or modifying the invention within the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the summary of the invention and the detailed description of the preferred embodiment in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
For the purpose of summarizing this invention, this invention comprises a tightening device which includes an annular flange member adapted to extend inwardly and radially from a lower annular wall of a protective covering member in the form of a canopy, and an anchored flat sheet adapted to be formed with an upper major wall of a motor casing. The anchored flat sheet has upper and lower anchored walls opposite to each other in an axial direction, and an inner peripheral wall extending from the upper anchored wall to communicate with the lower anchored wall to define a central hole. The upper anchored wall defines a plurality of first fastening positions proximate to the inner peripheral wall and angularly spaced apart from one another. An upper annular clamping member preferably in the form of a clamping ring has an outer circumferential portion and an inner circumferential portion extending inwardly and radially from the outer circumferential portion to define an inserting hole. A similarly configured lower annular gasket member, preferably composed of a vibration damping material such as rubber, is provided. When the upper annular clamping member and the gasket member are respectively placed on and beneath the annular flange member, the outer circumferential portions will sandwich the annular flange member therebetween, while the inner circumferential portions face each other in an axial direction parallel to the axis. The inner circumferential portions respectively define second fastening positions and third fastening positions which respectively correspond to the first fastening positions in terms of number and relative position. As such, a plurality of fastening members can fasten the anchored flat sheet and the inner circumferential portions together along the first, second and third fastening positions when the annular flange member is sandwiched between the outer circumferential portions, and when each of the first fastening positions is aligned with two corresponding ones of the second and third fastening positions in the axial direction.
The present invention eliminates the need for holes in the protective canopy covering member that otherwise may be covered by the aesthetically pleasing cap members described hereinabove.
The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the more pertinent and important features of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood so that the present contribution to the art can be more fully appreciated. Additional features of the invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and the specific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.